WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:13.001 [...] 00:00:13.001 --> 00:00:17.000 [...] 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:24.000 [...] 00:01:59.001 --> 00:02:00.001 But turn out today, Harry. 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:03.001 Yes, Governor. You'd never guess there'd been any 00:02:03.001 --> 00:02:05.000 controversy over our new highway, would you? 00:02:05.001 --> 00:02:07.001 Well, from the size of this crowd, it appears that 00:02:07.001 --> 00:02:09.000 most of your people like the idea now. 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:13.000 I'm sure most of them do. But I'll have to admit, there are two or three folks 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:19.000 out there who are here 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.001 today. Maybe they've finally seen the light. 00:02:22.001 --> 00:02:25.001 Jack, I sure hope your grandfather Connor's not turning over in his 00:02:25.001 --> 00:02:27.000 grave at what's happening here today. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:33.000 Well, if he is, Bob, it isn't because you and I didn't fight it all the way. Now 00:02:33.000 --> 00:02:35.000 that it's built, let's hope we have been wrong. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:38.001 Hello, Ralph. How's the dairy farm? 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:42.000 Haven't we convinced you farmers yet? 00:02:42.001 --> 00:02:47.001 Nope. But what's done is done. Now if they'll just cut that ribbon, I can get on 00:02:47.001 --> 00:02:50.001 in the market and see if this road is worth the trouble it's caused me. 00:02:55.000 --> 00:03:02.000 Ladies and gentlemen, it's with distinct pleasure today, 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:07.000 on the occasion of this important event, to introduce to you the illustrious 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.001 governor of our great state, the Honorable Theodore White. 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:18.001 Thank you, Mayor Spencer. Distinguished guests. 00:03:19.001 --> 00:03:25.001 Ladies and gentlemen, I compliment you on this large gathering here today. It 00:03:25.001 --> 00:03:30.000 shows clearly that you, the people of Connersville, recognize the true 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:35.000 significance of this ceremony to each and every one of you. You have had your 00:03:35.001 --> 00:03:40.001 discussions, even disagreements, about the highway, in the public hearing room, 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:45.001 on the streets, and in your homes. And I think you'll all agree that such 00:03:45.001 --> 00:03:51.000 discussions are healthy, for from them comes the majority will. We are gathered 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:56.001 here today to dedicate a new highway that represents the majority will of the 00:03:56.001 --> 00:04:01.001 citizens of your community. One segment of a great national system of highways 00:04:01.001 --> 00:04:08.001 that one day soon will connect the major cities of our land. You 00:04:08.001 --> 00:04:13.000 good people of Connersville are about to reap the benefits, almost certain... 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:17.001 Reap the benefits. Let's hope that's the case, Governor. Let's hope the future 00:04:17.001 --> 00:04:22.001 proves that 18 months ago the right decision was made. 18 months ago. 00:04:31.000 --> 00:04:35.000 See if you can find Ms. Rapp on a seat, will you? We can't have the town's 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:36.001 prettiest schoolteacher standing, can we? 00:04:39.001 --> 00:04:59.001 A meeting will come to order. This is a public hearing on the location of 10, 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.000 through Connor County in the vicinity of Connersville. Since federal funds will 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:09.001 be used in this project, the law requires a public hearing to discuss the 00:05:09.001 --> 00:05:12.000 economic effect of the proposed highway location. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:17.001 The law also says that ample notice of the hearing must be given so that all 00:05:17.001 --> 00:05:20.000 interested parties may appear and be heard. 00:05:21.000 --> 00:05:24.001 Judging from the size of this crowd here today, I would say 00:05:24.001 --> 00:05:26.000 that the state's given plenty of notice. 00:05:27.001 --> 00:05:30.000 Now as your mayor, I've been asked by the state 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:31.001 highway department to conduct this hearing. 00:05:32.001 --> 00:05:37.001 So let's get things started by turning the meeting over to Mr. Paul Jacobson, the 00:05:37.001 --> 00:05:40.001 state highway division engineer, who will explain the state's 00:05:40.001 --> 00:05:43.000 proposal. Mr. Jacobson. 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.000 Thank you, Mayor Stenzer. For the record, I'm Paul Jacobson, speaking as division 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.000 engineer for the state highway department. 00:05:53.000 --> 00:05:57.000 Now as you know, the state is proposing to improve Federal-aid Route 00:05:57.000 --> 00:05:59.000 110 in the vicinity of Connersville. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:04.000 This highway will be part of the interstate highway system created by the Federal 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:06.000 -aid Highway Act of 1956. 00:06:07.001 --> 00:06:11.001 Now to help you understand our proposal, I'd like to begin my presentation by 00:06:11.001 --> 00:06:14.000 showing you a short film that will give you some of the 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.000 background of the current highway program. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:32.001 In this century, America has become a nation on wheels. 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:38.001 We ride on wheels to work, to shop, to play, to go about any place we want to go. 00:06:39.001 --> 00:06:43.000 We depend on wheels to bring us the food we eat, the clothes 00:06:43.000 --> 00:06:44.001 we wear, the things we use. 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:51.000 But when we depend on wheels, we depend also on highways and roads 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:54.001 and streets for the wheels to roll on. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:00.001 And therein lies the challenge, building highways and roads and streets 00:07:00.001 --> 00:07:02.000 fast enough to keep up with the need. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:07.000 After World War II, the nation began developing a case of acute congestion that 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.001 cost us millions of dollars a year in time, equipment, and lives. 00:07:12.001 --> 00:07:18.000 By 1956, there were more than 65 million cars on our roads, with 90 million 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.000 forecast by 1975. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:23.000 Clearly, it was a time for national action. 00:07:24.001 --> 00:07:30.000 Congress responded with the Federal-aid Highway Act of 1956, providing the 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:34.001 staggering sum of 51 billion dollars to be spent by the states on highway 00:07:34.001 --> 00:07:36.000 construction by 1971. 00:07:37.001 --> 00:07:43.001 The most talked about phase of the act is the Interstate Highway System, a 41,000 00:07:43.001 --> 00:07:46.000 mile network of our most important roads. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:51.001 Most of these roads will be four, six, even eight lane expressways 00:07:51.001 --> 00:07:53.001 constructed for through traffic. 00:07:54.001 --> 00:07:59.000 They will take the over-the-road driver from city to city, coast to coast, at 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.001 highway speeds, even through large population centers. 00:08:03.001 --> 00:08:09.000 The Federal-aid Highway Act offers relief to the local driver, too, by giving him 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:14.000 easy access to his home, work, stores, without interference from through traffic. 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:19.001 Billions of dollars will be spent for city streets and expressways and for other 00:08:19.001 --> 00:08:21.000 highways of the primary system. 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:26.000 The farmer, too, benefits directly from the billions allotted for the improvement 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:29.001 of state and county highways, as well as the farm-to 00:08:29.001 --> 00:08:31.000 -market roads of our rural system. 00:08:31.001 --> 00:08:36.001 These new highways will have a far-reaching economic impact on the entire nation. 00:08:37.001 --> 00:08:41.000 They provide a heavy-duty link between all parts of productive America. 00:08:42.001 --> 00:08:46.000 They are a shot in the arm for cities that have begun to feel the impact of 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:47.001 growing downtown traffic congestion. 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:54.001 They open up vast new areas for suburban living, and they encourage industry to 00:08:54.001 --> 00:08:56.000 disperse out of city congestion. 00:08:56.001 --> 00:09:01.001 They stimulate business and create new jobs, particularly among the nation's road 00:09:01.001 --> 00:09:06.000 builders, who are fulfilling their tremendous responsibility with specialized 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:09.001 equipment and modern techniques to build roads of the highest 00:09:09.001 --> 00:09:11.000 quality at the lowest cost. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:16.000 They stimulate business, too, in the industry supplying the road builders, 00:09:16.001 --> 00:09:21.000 manufacturers of heavy equipment, explosives, aggregate, steel, concrete, 00:09:21.001 --> 00:09:23.001 petroleum products, chemicals, and many others. 00:09:24.001 --> 00:09:29.000 They create other jobs and business opportunities in related fields, too, car, 00:09:29.001 --> 00:09:33.001 truck, and bus manufacturing, as well as services catering to the motor traveler. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:40.000 Perhaps most important of all, they will save lives, bringing about at least a 50 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.001 percent reduction in the death rate on major highways. 00:09:43.001 --> 00:09:47.000 State highway officials, charged with the responsibility of designing and 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.001 building the new highway system, are actually planning into every mile all 00:09:51.001 --> 00:09:53.000 the factors that mean safety. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:59.000 Controlled access, for example, the most important factor that promotes safety by 00:09:59.000 --> 00:10:03.000 eliminating crossroads, private entrances, traffic signals, and grade crossings. 00:10:04.001 --> 00:10:07.001 Properly planned median strips to separate traffic. 00:10:08.001 --> 00:10:12.000 Wider traffic lanes that take into account highway driving speeds. 00:10:13.000 --> 00:10:15.000 Added lanes to handle increased traffic volume. 00:10:16.001 --> 00:10:20.001 Wider, firmer, well-stabilized shoulders to provide adequate extra 00:10:20.001 --> 00:10:22.000 roadside lanes for emergencies. 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:28.000 Smooth, easy curves and gentle grades to ensure adequate sight distances. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:33.000 And bridges and overpasses over railroad tracks and intersecting highways. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:38.001 Of course, all highway planners recognize the safety value of such factors as 00:10:38.001 --> 00:10:40.001 adequate lighting at critical points. 00:10:42.001 --> 00:10:44.000 Easy to read highway signs. 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:50.000 Modern electronic equipment such as the type that turns on reduced 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:51.001 speed signs in bad weather. 00:10:53.000 --> 00:10:56.000 Or even removes ice from key spots automatically. 00:10:56.001 --> 00:11:01.001 Important too are such good maintenance practices as inexpensive full-scale ice 00:11:01.001 --> 00:11:03.000 removal with calcium chloride. 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.001 Drainage maintenance and weed eradication. 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:14.001 But the road to better roads is not easy. There are many problems. 00:11:15.000 --> 00:11:18.001 Notably antiquated state laws left over from horse and buggy days. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:20.001 Laws that must be brought up to date. 00:11:21.001 --> 00:11:26.001 Rising land prices. Greatly increasing the cost of future highways unless the 00:11:26.001 --> 00:11:28.001 land can be purchased and set aside now. 00:11:29.001 --> 00:11:32.000 And the shortage of trained highway engineers. 00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:36.001 However, the solution to all the problems lies most of 00:11:36.001 --> 00:11:38.000 all in public understanding. 00:11:38.001 --> 00:11:41.001 For only when each citizen becomes better informed 00:11:41.001 --> 00:11:43.001 about his state's highway program. 00:11:44.001 --> 00:11:49.000 Only when he helps develop the popular support so essential to highway progress 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.001 can the nation meet the highway challenge. 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:56.001 So the better, safer roads of tomorrow will become the roads of today. 00:12:04.001 --> 00:12:08.001 That gives you an idea of some of the factors we considered in arriving at the 00:12:08.001 --> 00:12:10.000 recommendation under discussion today. 00:12:11.001 --> 00:12:15.001 Now this is the highway system presently in Connor 00:12:15.001 --> 00:12:18.001 County. This is U.S. Route 110. 00:12:19.000 --> 00:12:24.001 The state proposes to improve U.S. Route 110 with a controlled access highway 00:12:24.001 --> 00:12:27.000 that will be part of the interstate highway system. 00:12:29.000 --> 00:12:33.000 Present Route 110 will be widened from two to four lanes divided by a median 00:12:33.000 --> 00:12:36.001 strip and the alignment we brought up to present day standards. 00:12:37.001 --> 00:12:41.000 Now at this point we propose leaving Present Route 110 and 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:42.001 bypassing the town of Connersville. 00:12:43.000 --> 00:12:46.001 There will be easy convenient access to and from the new highway 00:12:46.001 --> 00:12:48.001 with adequate signs. 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:55.000 We also propose to improve that portion of Present Route 110 that runs through 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:59.001 Connersville to widen the pavement from 18 to 22 feet and 00:12:59.001 --> 00:13:01.000 to correct the alignment in several places. 00:13:02.001 --> 00:13:07.001 We believe Route 110 offers the best, most economical path for the new interstate 00:13:07.001 --> 00:13:09.000 highway through Connor County. 00:13:09.001 --> 00:13:14.000 Relocating it elsewhere would mean excessive land costs, innumerable right of way 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:17.000 problems, and greater construction costs. 00:13:19.001 --> 00:13:23.000 Now our decision to make Route 110 a controlled access highway is based 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:25.000 on these traffic count figures. 00:13:26.000 --> 00:13:30.000 About 8,000 vehicles use the Present Route 110 through Connersville every day. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:34.001 By 1975 we estimate 16,000 vehicles daily. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:40.000 Now perhaps that explains why congestion is increasing every day on Main Street, 00:13:40.001 --> 00:13:42.001 and why the accident rate on Route 110 00:13:42.001 --> 00:13:44.001 has become one of the highest in the state. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:47.000 Now our traffic count points out another fact. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:53.000 Of the 8,000 vehicles that travel Route 110 each day, only 1,500 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.000 are destined for Connersville. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:58.001 The other 6,500 are merely passing through. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:05.001 Therefore, we're recommending that the new highway bypass the town in the belief 00:14:05.001 --> 00:14:09.001 that it offers the most advantages both to Connersville and to the state. 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:14.000 From your point of view it'll keep Main Street free of the excessive 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:15.001 congestion caused by through traffic. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:24.001 It will relieve local people, especially children, of the hazards of through 00:14:24.001 --> 00:14:28.000 traffic, and it'll keep through traffic off the 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.000 street in front of the new elementary school. 00:14:30.001 --> 00:14:34.001 From the state's point of view it'll give through traffic a shorter distance to 00:14:34.001 --> 00:14:37.001 travel without getting tied up in business district traffic. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:43.000 It eliminates hazardous curves, and it costs less than buying the additional 00:14:43.000 --> 00:14:46.000 right of way necessary if we did go through town.